• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Dorsett, Leclaire carry Blue Jackets past Canucks

Oct 22, 2008 - 3:07 AM COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- The Vancouver Canucks cannot wait to return home.

Derek Dorsett scored his first career goal and Pascal Leclaire stopped 23 shots as the Columbus Blue Jackets topped the Canucks, 4-2, on Tuesday.

Captain Rick Nash had a goal and an assist and Jason Chimera and Kristian Huselius also tallied for Columbus, while Jakub Voracek set up a pair of goals.

Kyle Wellwood and defenseman Kevin Bieksa scored for Vancouver, which has lost three straight and finished 2-4-0 on its six-game road trip.

"Obviously, the road trip didn't turn out the way we anticipated," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said.

"It will be nice to get back home," said Vancouver captain Roberto Luongo, who made 29 saves. "But we are not too pleased with the way the road trip ended."

The Canucks tried to rally, but their efforts were futile.

Bieksa, who was playing his second game after missing three with a knee injury, scored from the top of the crease at 5:01 of the third period to draw Vancouver within 3-2. However, Leclaire slammed the door down the stretch, turning aside the final 11 shots he faced.

"He was a big factor in the game tonight," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said of Leclaire, who missed the team's previous game with a thumb injury. "Especially late in the game, he made a huge toe save. I was happy for Pazzy, he was really in control today."

"We just found a way to win," Leclaire said. "Hopefully, we can grab some momentum and get a winning streak going."

Nash was credited with an empty-net goal with 19 seconds left. Racing in ahead of a pair of Canucks, Nash was tripped before being able to unleash a shot, and the referee immediately awarded him his fifth tally of the season.

Chimera and Huselius staked Columbus to a 2-0 lead early in the first period, but Wellwood - who was recalled from the American Hockey League earlier in the day - halved the deficit with a power-play tally at 7:55.

"I didn't know what to expect," Wellwood said of being recalled. "I had four days off from skating. I felt better than I have in a long time out there."

Columbus got an important insurance goal from Dorsett, who banged in the rebound of Manny Malhotra's shot with 5:37 left in the second. After Malhotra fired a shot from the right side, the rebound came out to Dorsett, who beat Luongo to the stick side.

"It's a huge relief," the 21-year-old Dorsett said of his first goal. "It's just really exciting, and I'm glad I got it."

"Derek Dorsett is a big addition to our hockey team," Hitchcock said. "He does not play like a young player and is a big part of our team right now."

Vancouver entered having allowed 17 goals in its previous four games, and Columbus took advantage of some shaky defense early.

The Blue Jackets opened the scoring when Chimera broke free and blasted a slap shot from the left faceoff circle that beat Luongo between the pads at 2:32 of the first. It was his third goal in as many games. Huselius doubled the lead less than four minutes later, tipping in a pass from Nash at 6:22.

"We've had good second and third periods," Vigneault said. "I don't know if the start is preparation, a save, a goal on the power play or a combination of them all, but obviously, we need to do a better job there."